Today in Latin America

Top Story — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Venezuela this weekend on a trip to strengthen bilateral ties.

Putin and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed a number of accords, covering a range of subjects including energy, defense, transportation, education and technology.

“Russia and Venezuela are on that path and we’ll be more united every day,” Chavez said, according to EFE.

One agreement reached between the two world leaders concerned joint oil ventures in the Orinoco region of eastern Venezuela. In regards to this agreement, Putin said a consortium of five Russian firms will pay $1 billion for the right to help develop the Junín 6 block in the Orinoco belt.

The two leaders also signed several memoranda on the development of gas and oil tankers, studies into the installation of an electric plant and other energy-planning projects. Venezuela is currently suffering from a severe electricity crises.

The goal is “to make the world more democratic, balanced and multi-polar,” Putin said.

Elton John played a concert for 6,000 people Saturday at the Mayan pyramids of Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Three workers were injured Friday when the concert’s stage collapsed during its installation.

Caribbean

Cuban head of state Raúl Castro said his country would not back down in the face of pressure from foreign countries to release political prisoners, which Cuban authorities view as common criminals paid by the U.S. to undermine the revolutionary government.

Early television polls indicate that Evo Morales’ Movement Toward Socialism (MAS, in Spanish) won in five out of nine of the country’s governorships in Bolivia’s regional elections on Sunday. Official results will not be available for two to three weeks. (Spanish))

An unruly group of soccer fans were arrested in Argentina on Friday. A total of 30 passengers of a LAN Airbus were taken into custody upon landing. The group reportedly assaulted a flight attendant and threatened to set the plane on fire.